Dear all:First , as the chair of the core steering group of the student network, I would like to welcome you to the forums, the past period was a period of updating and renovation if I may say, and I hope the coming period will be actually , a period of activity. Secondly, the ICN conference in Malta is coming soon at the 3rd- 7th of May, and it is anticipated that there will be over 3000 nurses and students attending, there will be a 90 minute meeting of the Student Network. We would like to hear from you regarding the most important topics that we should talk about during this meeting. What do you feel are important issues for students to discuss at the international level? your responses to this will help the steering group to organize for the meeting and prepare for its meeting agenda, Hope to hear from all of you out there soon. Best regards,

Hello I received a very warm welcome into the Core Steering Group ,let me just say how exited i am to form part of this wonderful groupas a team we have much work ahead of us and as nurses as well. I would like to say that i am ready for the meetings that lay ahead and pleased to make your acquaintancemy name is Ms Leticia Cruz and i am a registers nurse here in Puerto Rico. On behalf of I.C.N and the Core Steering Group i would like to extend a warm welcome to members of the group and friends

Hello AllIt is a pleasure to be in the Core Steering Group. First on the topic brought fourth by our Chair I would just like to highlight that an area of great importance to nurses all around the world is Emergency preparedness and effective communication as well as communication alternatives and strategies for health maintainence .These are also issues highlighted in Healthy People 2020 as in the World Health Organization Objectives. Another very important issue facing us is the Nutritional disparities not only here in Puerto Rico but Globally, this is a more profound area because it not only involves Agricultural Issues but Nutrition strategies as far as life style modification and self care deficits , as nurses we really need to concentrate on these problems before they become dilemmas. I am doing my part to tackle these through education and really utilizing a Transformational Leadership Style. Food Safety is also of vital importance and in Puerto Rico diseases associated with nutrition. These are the issues I will be working on through out the summer, but we are a team working together for the well being of all the countries , these are the topics I believe to be vital in the next coming months.

I agree winn99. While there is much very good ongoing work, i agree that more need to be done in the fight against what we westerners sometimes choose to believe isn't a problem. Keep up the good work anyway